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Vengeance Born (The Light Blade #1)

by Kylie Griffin (Goodreads Author)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 670 ratings · 127 reviews

Her lineage is both a blessing and a curse...

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born...

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na'Reish king, longs for more than a tormented life among her father's people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a...more

ebook, 336 pages

Published February 7th 2012 by Berkley

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Feb 26, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-pnr-sci-fi-romance, 2012-debuts

Annika is Na'Chi a half-blood, part human, part demon. She is the unwanted daughter of Savyr, the leader of the Na'Reish (the demons). Annika, born of a human mother, has been beaten, humiliated and despised all her life by her father and the full-blood demons. She dreams of escape to her mother's land and people.

Kalan Tayn is human, a Light Blade and enemy of the demons. Captured by demon scouts during a slave raid in the Outer Provinces he's been locked away and tortured for weeks. If Annika c...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Bec McMaster rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, was waiting for this for a long time and man, did it live up to expectations! What a fascinating world, full of politics, fascinating cultures, demons, Light-blade warriors and a brewing war that makes me itch to see what's happening next! I loved Annika and will admit to a few teary moments. She had to overcome so much and I liked watching her re-learn how to trust and keep reaching for her 'dream'. Kalan was a strong hero and a true leader. He didn't react in a predictable way. He acknowl...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of adult romance

Shelves: fantasy, romance, adult, magic, ebook, adventure, reviewed

I was surprised how much I enjoyed the story in this, despite the fact that I was only reading for the romance. At first I was a bit bothered by the stiff dialogue. It sounded too formal to be natural. But it is a fantasy world and perhaps they simply speak like that there. But despite stiff dialogue, that story was captivating. It was first and foremost a romance, but it still had a large story full of larger-than-life characters, dark evils, and world shifting threats, as well as an interestin...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Shaytasticbooks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Check out review at Shaytasticbooks

RATING: 3.5

Interesting Note: My boyfriend picked out this book after I found both my Kobo and Nexus dead, and so we went to the book store even though I just finished a shift working.

I dont know about you but I love the cover of this book. When my boyfriend first handed it to me I was like "ohhhh thats a kick ass cover". I don't know what it is but I love it when books show strong female characters on the front. Ya she may look like a little pin up but damn I...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-twolipsrevies-com

Annika is a handmaiden of the Lady with demon eyes. She is the half blood daughter of the Na’ Reish leader. She can heal as well as destroy.

Kalan is a Light Blade warrior and knows all of humanity depends on him defeating the Na’Reish. When he is injured and almost near death, Annika helps him. She gives him freedom on the condition that he take her with him. Can they stop the Na’ Reish from making all humans their blood slaves? And will the secret they stumble on along the way destroy them all?...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Dee W rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Griffin had me from the first line!

I empathise with Annika all throughout the book, and without her adversity, she wouldn't be half the woman she turns out to be.

The cover art is extremely well thought out, as many books you pick up the charachter on the front somehow doesn't marry up to the finished product inside the pages.

I can't not mention Kalan. Who is a hero that anyone can empathise with, and you want to have a beer with a bloke like that. He is caring, strong and a formidable lover as w...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Malory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance, series

Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin is the first book in her series The Light Blade and is an excellent addition to the genre of romantic fantasy.

Annika is Na'Chi (a half-blood), part human and part Na'Reish (demom). Annika suffers daily in living with the other Na'Reish who spit on her and abuse her daily for the impurity of her bloodline. She desperately wishes for escape and it comes in the disguise of a human prisoner and Light Blade warrior Kalan. At first Kalan is disgusted by her half-blood s...more

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May 27, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, medieval, heroine-strong-willed, hero-high-social-position, heroine-sad-past, misunderstanding

I feel bad for not giving this story a 5. I loved the heroine. She was so cautious regarding her trust issues and how she kept doubting the hero in the beginning, which was very realistic and much appreciated. I love her strength despite how much she suffered.

She was my favorite character in the book, which is surprising since I usually fall in love with the hero before anything. The more I learned about Annika, the more I grew to love her. I cried every time she talked about her past with that...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmmmm...what did I think of this book? Well, with the exception of a few parts this would be an excellent book for Young Adults. Annika is half human, half demon and is shunned by both worlds. She needs to drink blood to survive so of course the humans (who actually don't know that a human/demon hybrid exists) assume she is a demon. The demons treat her like a human because she has compassion for them. Annika meets human Light Blade warrior Kalan in her father's dungeon (her father as it happens...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Marisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: parnormal-romance, books-for-rntv

The journey of Kalan and Annika is a relationship forged in mutual need but distrust. All his life Kalan has been taught to hate demons, his main purpose in life is to wage war against them in order to save the human race. Having to rely on Annika is one of the hardest things this warrior has ever had to do. During their perilous escape to freedom they slowly learn more about each other, but prejudices learned at birth are hard to ignore. Overcoming obstacles and hardships and having to rely on...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

2.5 Stars

Annika is Na’chi, a half human, half Na’Reish(demons). The Na’Reish and humans don’t get along, but the Na’Reish need blood slaves to live. They are like vampires with all pointed teeth, purple eyes and odd markings on their skin. Because Annika is half-blood, and the Na’Reish like pure bloods she is treated unfairly, and has to deal with abuse from nearly everyone. All but a human slave named Hesia. Hesia shows her the ways of a healer. When the Na’Reish captures a Light Blade warrior,...more 2.5 Stars

Annika is Na’chi, a half human, half Na’Reish(demons). The Na’Reish and humans don’t get along, but the Na’Reish need blood slaves to live. They are like vampires with all pointed teeth, purple eyes and odd markings on their skin. Because Annika is half-blood, and the Na’Reish like pure bloods she is treated unfairly, and has to deal with abuse from nearly everyone. All but a human slave named Hesia. Hesia shows her the ways of a healer. When the Na’Reish captures a Light Blade warrior, it is Annika who heals him, and makes a deal with him. She will set him free if he will take her to the human lands, and protect her.

It took me a while to get into this one. The first 150 pages slid by slowly. Not because there wasn’t a lot going on, but because our couple was trying to make it out of the demon lands. I knew things wouldn’t heat up until they were in the human lands, and I was right about that. Once there the story becomes much more interesting.

Other than the slow start there is a great deal of narrative from Annika. She constantly recalls the awful life she had lead, and distrusts the Light Blade hero, Kalan. She also constantly tells Kalan how awful her life was, and keeps worrying about how it will be. It was very interesting to watch how she was welcomed within the human lands. To me she wasn’t that strong of a heroine. She has some really neat powers, and grew up in a very hard world, but is all soft. Despite her short comings, by the end of the novel I was rooting for her.

Kalan isn’t much better when it comes to narrative. The story is in third person, but the switch between her thoughts and his is not a smooth one. He fights the Na’Reish, and doesn’t trust Annika at first. In fact he almost knocks her around at the start. Soon he works past his distrust, and comes to understand her. After this point he constantly reminds readers how brave Annika is, which drove me nuts. Despite that there romantic scenes are warm, but by the time they truly got together some of the tension was lost.

There is a side story with the other Na’Chi. Annika doesn’t know there are anymore, but the human slave, Hesia has spirited them away, and they live out in the woods. I actually thought this was kind of silly. Considering how strong the Na’Reish are, and the fact they have demon dogs, it seems like they would have found the Na’Chi in the forest long before. We are not given a true scope of how big the forest is, but Kalan and Annika make it out in around two days on foot. All the same Hesia urges the group of Na’Chi to follow Annika to the human city. Once they do they stir the pot. The city is already coping with Annika being different.

This was a book I was looking forward to, and it is safe to say I was a little disappointed. The narrative bogged me down, and slowed my reading. On the plus side this is a very interesting world, and I love the differences of the Na’Reish from the usual demons or vampires. Annika doesn’t do it for me as a heroine. We are constantly told how brave and strong she is, but we often see her about to break into tears. Considering her life before, I expected a woman with some edge and steel in her back bone. Despite my reservations I look forward to see where the story goes.
- Beth (Guest Reviewer)(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: romance fans with "enemies to lovers" plot, fans of demon stories

Shelves: adult-series, angels-and-demons, beautiful-titles, best-secondary-characters, characters-i-wanna-bitch-slap, covergasm, delicious-drama, erotic-fiction, heroines-i-love, kickass-strong-heroines, oh-hot-hot-hot, romance, stunningly-awesome, supernatural-beings, tortured-heroines, warriors, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, good-couples, heroes-i-would-do, 2nd-favourites

The world Kylie Griffin created is just fascinating!

I loved everything, from the perpetual war between the Na'Reish (demons) and the Light Blade warriors (humans), to the Na'Chi (half bloods), to the detail of the marks in the bodies of both Na'Reish and Na'Chi, to the fact that a Na'Chi's eyes change according to the emotions the person is feeling, to the existence of the Lady and much, much more.

However, I only gave this book 4 stars because of some aspects:

- Annika and Kalan's romantic relati...more

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Apr 03, 2013 QiJia 치쟈 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-the-cover, kylie-griffin, epub, e-books, interested-to-get-a-copy, read-in-2013, favorites, favourites-2013

Just look at the cover!!!
Sexy and elegant, mysterious and has this primal animalistic feel!!

Yea yea I'm a sucker for pretty covers
;P

Vengeance Born is more of a romance + politics between the Na'Reish (demon) , Light Blade(humans) and Na'Chi (half blood).

The heroine, Annika,a Na'Chi has been abused and despised and degraded her whole life because of her lineage being a half demon and half human. Feeling alone,never fitting into any world, Annika is a poor sad lonely soul yet strong, determined...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Caity rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-had-higher-expectations

This is not a bad book.
It has action and romance -what more could you ask for right?
But i just did not enjoy it. 2 stars" "it was okay"

The characters' actions felt forced to me.
The protagonist Annika is compassionate with a deep determination to move forward, though she's dealt with some nasty abuse in her past ...BUT her character was so...dimished by her heritage. its very hard to break down the wall of her history because whenever she speaks she's referencing the pain of her past. She is co...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Ivanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, adult

alur ceritanya siy suka.. cuma terlalu lambat jalan ceritanya...

Bahkan musuh utama sang pemimpin Na'Reish ga pernah muncul cuma jadi bahan omongan dengan kekejamannya ajja....

Kalan telah di tangkap oleh Na’Reish hamper 2 minggu, namun seorang yang mengaku Na’Chi bernama Annika membantunya untuk bebas asal Annika bisa ikut Kalan ke tempat The Light Blade untuk mengenal tempat ibunya. Kalan akhirnya setuju dengan persyaratan Annika…

Perjalanan mereka ga mudah untuk sampai tempat para Light Blade… K...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Barb Lie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin, is the first book in her Light Blade series. This is a book about two couples, one a half demon and the other a human warrior. Vengeance Born is a Fantasy Romance, and totally different then most romance stories. It is a story of two unlikely people, who come together to help each other survive a deadly situation. It is a story of trust, prejudice and how love can change anything.

Annika, is a half-breed of human and demon; who is also a healer, and has lived all...more Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin, is the first book in her Light Blade series. This is a book about two couples, one a half demon and the other a human warrior. Vengeance Born is a Fantasy Romance, and totally different then most romance stories. It is a story of two unlikely people, who come together to help each other survive a deadly situation. It is a story of trust, prejudice and how love can change anything.

Annika, is a half-breed of human and demon; who is also a healer, and has lived all her life in a demon world, run by her demon father who hated her. In her world, the demons (Na Reish), use humans as blood-slaves, but half-human half-demon (Na Chi) children are looked upon with hatred. Annika thinks of herself as the only Na Chi, as others were killed at birth. She was kept alive by her father, the King, to torture her as revenge. Annika dreams of escaping, and grasping a chance at possible freedom, she helps an imprisoned human Light Blade warrior to escape, with the promise of helping her.

Kalan, the Light Blade, agrees to help Annika, but he distrusts her as he knows she is a demon, and he has been brought up to hate all demons. Annika used her healing powers to help Kalan, and then helps him escape his imprisonment. The beginning of the story is about their escape, running for their lives from the Na’Reish warriors who are searching for them. Kalan, is an honorable man, as well as a strong and handsome warrior. He finds it difficult to trust Annika, and has a hard time hiding his dislike for what she is. At times he finds himself sympathetic to the life she has lived, as they learn more about each other during their travel to the human land. Annika is truly a warm and giving person, but has known what it’s like to be hated all of her life. She too does not trust Kalan, but is used to that type of behavior towards her. At times, you find yourself cringing at the treatment others have towards Annika, and even Kalan, does the same with his preconceived notions. But slowly, Kalan begins to see another side, and the distrust and hatred, begins to change to friendship.

Griffin does a wonderful job, of showing us the improbability of a friendship coming out of this, not to mention a romance. It is done so well, and very slowly. Both learn to open their hearts and learn to love, though for Annika, it is difficult transition, as she knows nothing of love and acceptance. It was also very well done showing Annika’s need for blood, and how she trained herself to only use animal blood, since her father tortured her as a child to kill for blood. Kalan begins to learn about Annika, and the difficult life she has lived, and you see the change in him as time goes on. Kalan is a good and kind leader of his people, and what he learns from Annika goes a long way to trying to help his people change their prejudices, which will take a long time.

Griffin also has created some excellent characters in the Light Blade series, whom we will continue to learn about them as this series continues. I really liked Kymora, and Arek has a lot of potential as a possible hero, and we know Varian will soon get his story. Of course, in any fantasy, even in romance, there are villains, and this book has them.

Vengeance Born is an excellent book by Kylie Griffin, and I really enjoyed reading this book. The romance is so different then the norm, and it is very gratifying. Prejudice plays a major part, and though this book has a happy ending, it is far from over. The series will continue, with much anger, hatred and prejudice still to be fought, not to mention the war between the demons and human. Up next, Alliance Forged.

Barb
The Reading Cafe
(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Amanda Luedeke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I was hoping for more fantasy and less romance, but that was just me.
Of course you have head-jumping and excessive amounts of telling going on as with any romance novel. Those things really bother me, because there's no mystery behind characters' thoughts. You have a character wonder something like "does he like me?" and then right away we jump into the hero's head and he thinks "I really like her!". This is an extreme example, but it's an issue with romance that I just can't get around....more

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Oct 03, 2012 Fafiliebe ♥ Warner ♥ Prince Maxon ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance fans.. but tc sex scenes

Shelves: fancy-the-cover, swoon-worthy, cool-loved, enjoyed, love-the-heroine, loved-loved-loved

OMG OMG OMG !!! THE COVER IS BREATHTAKING!!!

i love it, the best cover i have seen... i realllyy hope this won't be disappointing..

*Update After Reading* WARNING SEX SCENES..

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ... <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

my heart.... must breath,,,,,,

i swooned sooooooooooo hard.... i haven't swooned like this for sooo long!!!!! <3 <3 <3
other than the sex ~~chapters~~ scenes .. the sweet gestures can kil...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: waiting-for-next-in-series

Sometimes I have so many books on my TBRS that I lose sight of what I'm supposed to be reading. Sometimes I close my eyes and pick a book and after reading it realise the little treasures I have hiding. This is one of those books. I loved it. Annika is a half-blood daughter of the Na Reish leader and a Light Blade Warrior. Her mother died in child birth and her Na Reish father kept her alive to be used as a tool of vengance. Annika has the power to heal and uses it to escape her father with the...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Dahlia (yadkny) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy Romance Lovers

Shelves: favorites

A journey awaits them unlike any other, but only if they choose to accept it and learn to trust one another.

Leading a life as a Na’Chi is impossibly frustrating and extremely dangerous. Even worse is being the half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish demon king. In a race where blood purity means everything, your lineage defines you and could mean death. Annika straddles the enemy lines of the demon and human worlds. Her lineage offers nothing but punishment for not being of pure demon blood as well...more A journey awaits them unlike any other, but only if they choose to accept it and learn to trust one another.

Leading a life as a Na’Chi is impossibly frustrating and extremely dangerous. Even worse is being the half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish demon king. In a race where blood purity means everything, your lineage defines you and could mean death. Annika straddles the enemy lines of the demon and human worlds. Her lineage offers nothing but punishment for not being of pure demon blood as well as fear and rejection from humans for being the offspring of their mortal enemy. Deemed too human to be respected by the demons and too demon to be accepted by the humans, Annika is faced with a life of torturous imprisonment under her father's rule. Her Gift is both a blessing and a curse, which must be kept secret or risk it being used for nefarious purposes. Annika's only ally and friend is but an old healer woman who's unending kindness and faith has given Annika the strength to do the unthinkable and strike a deal with the enemy. To end this existence she must be brave enough to risk it all and travel to a new one. Only she must not fail for unbeknownst to her others depend on her success as well.

Centuries old hatred and war between the races has left nothing but bitterness, unrest, and death for humankind. As Lady's Chosen and Light Blade warrior, Kalan has been on the front lines of both the battle on the field and at home as he fights for the survival of his people. When Kalan finds himself a prisoner-of-war, his only light out of the darkness comes with strings attached and from a hybrid thought not to exist. Her motives unknown, her claims make him wary at best, and his confusion grows over his attraction for a woman with the strength of a warrior and the innocence of a handmaiden. Simple kindnesses are foreign to her, but her survival instincts leave little doubt that the best way to proceed until he has answers is with caution. At all costs, he must protect the people he is responsible for, but Kalan cannot deny his instinct to protect Annika even while she challenges his beliefs at every turn. It's only a matter of time until the truth is revealed and the Lady's will becomes clear that change must be embraced. Only not everyone believes that a Na'Chi can be trusted and drastic measures are taken to ensure that the monster is exposed.

I am completely captivated by this fantastical world Kylie Griffin has created. It is a mystical adventure with demons, Vorcs, and prejudiced humans to contend with. The journey is unpredictable, intense, and suspense filled with each scene easily realized. Add to that the strength, compassion, and underlying vulnerability and innocence of Griffin’s two leading characters and this story is an unstoppable read. Annika and Kalan's stories are revealed in parts throughout, so connections can be made with each of them although I'll warn that Annika's story is particularly grabbing. The pacing is perfectly set to deliver maximum impact on both character development and world-building. In short, I believe in the characters and I believe in their story.

I am so impressed by Kylie Griffin’s imagination and writing talents and I can’t wait to dive into the next Light Blade journey! There are plenty of plot twists and characters with stories yet to be told, so it seems that the ending of this story is actually just the beginning. Fantasy and romance fans will be pleased with this new series!

Review soon-to-be posted @ Night Owl Reviews(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

originally posted:http://newborrowedused.blogspo...

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the world that the author created. The demons (Na' Reish) and the humans are only separated by a river but there is so much more between the two. The hatred and animosity jumps off the page and it was easy to get drawn into the turmoil.
Annika and Kalan are the main focus of this HEA. While I liked Kalan, Annika was the reason I kept reading. There was something about her story that made your heart break for her whil...more

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May 22, 2013 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was given this book by a friend of mine who just loves paranormal reads…… I will admit I’m not a big a fan as she is, but I can read a good one. And I’m happy to say – this is a good one. When my friend gave me this book she told me Kylie was a local author (I don’t know how many there are in rural outback NSW, but I was instantly going to give Kylie Griffin a go since she only lives up the road!!!) I was instantly taken by the world in which Kylie Griffin has created and cannot wait to keep r...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Crazy4more rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

5 stars!!!

Ah ha... finally got my hands on a great book that my friends haven't read. Friends, a must read if you enjoy Tairen Soul series. This doesn't have the inticate mix of the different races, conflicts and magic but I thought the theme of overcoming life's challenges, prejudices by putting faith, love, trust forefront were similar.

Warning: potential spoiler...depending how you see it:
As half-blood btwn human and demon, a Na'Chi', Annika was condemned, tortured and rediculed by her demon...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5
Favorite Lines: “Yes, I gave you the perfect weapon for retribution against me. I’m frightened my actions have hurt you too much to forgive me, but I’m more afraid of denying myself the chance of knowing what might happen between us.” (p. 214)

Vengeance Born is book one in Kylie Griffin’s Light Blade series which pits humans against demons. The reader is introduced to a world in which demons are violent and malicious predators who hunt humans. Once captured humans are tortured and often ensla...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Calico rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay. Well, first off, I expected this to be a YA book. I had suspicions that I'd been mistaken early on, when Kalan seemed to be appreciating Annika a little too much while dressing her wounds. It became very clear a little later on, though, when two of the characters started having rather detailed intimate relations 8(; Whoops. But okay, fine, my mistake. We can get past that. However, for this reason it's probably not a good choice for the younger crowd.

The premise of the book was decent, an...more Okay. Well, first off, I expected this to be a YA book. I had suspicions that I'd been mistaken early on, when Kalan seemed to be appreciating Annika a little too much while dressing her wounds. It became very clear a little later on, though, when two of the characters started having rather detailed intimate relations 8(; Whoops. But okay, fine, my mistake. We can get past that. However, for this reason it's probably not a good choice for the younger crowd.

The premise of the book was decent, and the story flowed fairly well. But there was one thing I just couldn't get over. Maybe it's just me. I haven't seen any of the other reviewers comment on it. But it drove me crazy within the first few pages and continued throughout the entire book. This author hates commas. They are so few and far between, every other sentence sounds like a run-on. I've been confused on several occasions because I blended two ideas together because there was no comma to separate them. Maybe I just like commas too much. Maybe I'm the one who's wrong. After all, I'm not an author, but she is. However, I have never read a book where the grammar just screamed wrongness to me as much as this book did. I had a very hard time getting over that.

I also had a hard time getting past the very annoying, very frequent, very always-in-italics phrase, "Lady's Breath!" (The capitalizations are apparently necessary as well. Alternate annoyingly overused, over-capitalized, and over-italicized phrases included "Merciful Mother," and "Lady's Blessing." Open the book to any page. Do you see one of those phrases? That's right, I thought so.

All of the words for the author's made-up races and council positions are also always capitalized and in italics. It gets old very, very fast. It's even worse when the lady-- excuse me, Lady speaks. Apparently the Lady's caps lock is always on. I'm beginning to wonder if the author's overuse of italics and Capitalization is her way of compensating for the lack of commas...

I bought this book based purely on the stellar reviews so many users on this site gave it, but I came away very disappointed. The characters were fine, but nothing extraordinary. Annika reminded me too much of Wanderer from Stephanie Meyer's The Host. The character relationships moved along at awkward paces, going from drawn-out mistrust to love too suddenly. (And not only between Annika and Kalan.) The storyline was fine, but nothing too exciting. For a book that started out in a demon lord's dungeons, I was afraid it'd be unnecessarily violent, but it wasn't. I was relieved at that. However, most of the events were easy to predict, and only one of the twists at the end caught me off guard.

Overall, it was an okay book. It wasn't hard to read. But it definitely didn't live up to the praise it's been receiving. This was the first of four books I recently bought based on recommendations from Goodreads. Hopefully the other three will be better.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Vengeance Born is a moving tale about trust, overcoming prejudices and how the actions of a single person can change the world. Annika’s story made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. Her strength knows no limits and will leave you in awe but she’s also incredibly vulnerable because of her upbringing. The sharp contrasts between these two aspects of her personality made this half-blood out to be a remarkably complex character that I immensely enjoyed getting to know....more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Vengeance Born is a moving tale about trust, overcoming prejudices and how the actions of a single person can change the world. Annika’s story made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. Her strength knows no limits and will leave you in awe but she’s also incredibly vulnerable because of her upbringing. The sharp contrasts between these two aspects of her personality made this half-blood out to be a remarkably complex character that I immensely enjoyed getting to know. The same can be said for Kalan, although theirs pasts and circumstances are very different, his strong leadership skills and kind heart make him bigger than life and ultimately worthy of Annika’s love. It’s hard not to fall into tired romantic clichés when writing a book about “boy meets girl” but Kylie Griffin managed to keep this story fresh and interesting.

I liked the pacing of the plot line. A good part of this book is about Kalan and Annika running for their lives so, needless to say, the action is plentiful. Even though the daughter of the Na’Reish King is first and foremost a healer she still packs one hell of a punch when push comes to shove. Like all travelers, Annika and Kalan need to periodically stop for rest during their flight which allows them and us readers to learn more about their backgrounds. They start off as enemies and trust doesn’t come easily but when they’re forced to rely on each other to survive the relationship can’t help but change. I am happy that Griffin took pretty much the entire book to build the connection between Annika and Kalan. Had they been able to overcome their prejudices and fall in love by the midway point I would have questioned the credibility of the story.

I was a little disappointed by how little Kylie explores the Na’Reish, Na’Chi and Light Blades’ heritage and politics. There are obvious differences between the various races but she doesn’t really go into too much detail. I sort of pieced together the main characteristics of the half-bloods through Annika but the rest pretty much remain a mystery. Too bad, because I enjoyed what snippets were included and would have loved to have learned more about the Light Blade universe. Maybe Alliance Forged will succeed a bit better in this area.

Kalan surprised me on numerous occasions in Vengeance Born; he’s not your typical leader. Instead of ruling with an iron fist he actually takes the time to listen to others’ suggestions and, believe it or not, learns from his mistakes. Things between him and Annika would have never worked otherwise. As I mentioned earlier, Annika’s story is a sad one but instead of throwing in the towel she continues to fight and to hope. Put in her shoes, I’d want many things with revenge probably being at the top of that list. She doesn’t lash out in anger though; instead she just wants to be accepted and lead as close to a normal life as possible. This doesn’t seem like a lot but in a world where the Na’Reish exist it’s next to impossible.

Vengeance Born has a nice balance of action and romance but it is at its core a love story. Depending on what your genre of choice is, this book may or may not be for you. I for one enjoyed it and the big reveal made at the ending helped to further stoke the flame. Alliance Forged is due out in July and I’ll be among one of the first in line to read it.

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Mar 07, 2012 Suzanne Schack added it · review of another edition

It's not my usual cup of tea, as I don't read the more steamy romance novels and sipped ver those few pages. Though this one was light on it compared to other books I've read reviews on before reading and I enjoyed the message of tolerance that wasn't wrapped up neatly at the end. I might, just might, read the next one in the series. I also like how the guy seemed to be the more captivated one in this book, a bit of a role reversal. And he was willing to admit he was wrong and grow during the bo...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Camille rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-asst

Once again I have been hooked by a series written by a female Australian author. This is frustrating because the US publishing houses will only release a book after it has been in print there for a year. This puts us all a whole year behind our Aussie friends. ordinarily waiting a year for a book to be released is born with patience, but when you know the book is finished, and published in English and you can't read it because "The Man" says you can't, is not as patiently born.

Over all review of...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Grabbed you from the beginning! What a great read!

Annika is suffering. She's a Healer and serves the Lady under torturous conditions. Then, a Light Blade Warrior enters her world and she arranges a daring escape.

This action brings a sequence of events that ignites hope in any romance reader. Their journey to Sacred Lake is a reveal of identities and secrets resulting in a new trust between two races. Despite the hatred of some of the humans Annika and her race wins over the trust of a new Counci...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Cami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, library-book, paranormal, read-in-2012, romance, series, vampires

This book is from a new series that I found myself drawn into almost immediately. I really enjoy the main characters, Annika and Kalan. The writing is pretty good, though a little bit predictable: I figured out who Kalan was immediately. The one thing that puts me off is the description of Annika's father's people as "demons." To me, "vampires" would be a better descriptor. At the end of the book, I find myself unsure what direction the story will go. It will be interesting to read the next book...more

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About Kylie Griffin

Kylie Griffin’s addiction to all things paranormal started at an early age when she imagined the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship or castle tower used to defend the world from hordes of invading enemies. Writing stories seemed like a natural extension.

By day she’s a primary school teacher but at night she writes paranormal romances for the Berkley Sensation line. She credits two wo...more

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Quotes from Vengeance Born

“As much as I like you in my shirt, I'd rather see it on the floor.” — 12 people liked it

“Say it again, Na’Chi.”
“I love you, Light Blade,” — 7 people liked it

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